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Saturday, April 30, 2011

Ever the artist, our friend Josh made a gorgeous red, white, and green-topped pizza using pita bread. Just as that melted cheese oozes among the spinach and tomatoes, the Italian flavor oozes from this dish.

Josh's Italian Pita Pizza

1 piece of pita bread

baby spinach

sliced mushrooms

cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

shredded cheese

Arrange spinach, mushrooms, cheese, and tomatoes on pita bread. Microwave for 1-2 minutes or until cheese melts. Slice it up and enjoy!

Friday, April 15, 2011

The Ratty's squash bisque is delicious on its own - a delicious balance of sweet and savory blended into a velvety smooth creamy soup. You can customize it by adding a personal spin, such as what we did here with bacon collard greens, cheese, scallions, and a slice of whole grain Seven Stars Bread.

Squash Bisque with Cheesy Bacon Collard Greens

1 bowl of squash bisque

bacon collard greens

1 slice of cheddar cheese

scallions

1 slice of Seven Stars Whole Grain Bread

1. Put cheese and half of collard greens on top and microwave until cheese melts - about 20 seconds.

What is the difference between a golden raisin and a purple raisin? Maybe the golden ones have a little more tang, or have a brighter, crisper flavor. Whatever the difference, these little jewels of sunshine are just bursting with spring!

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

When you are in a rush and want to eat something nutritious yet simple, go for an assortment of beans, peas, veggies, and tuna. This combination almost has all the colors of the rainbow! Now if only there were some purple eggplant and blue...uh blue...raspberries?

Sunday, April 10, 2011

As I was savoring a particularly juicy, cheese-smothered mushroom in my Greek veggie sandwich the other day at Andreas, it suddenly occurred to me: I had, at the Ratty, pretty much all the ingredients conveniently at my disposal to recreate that very same sandwich.

Mushrooms, spinach, tomato, onion, swiss and American cheese are ordinary on their own but absolutely wonderful in a warm pita nuked in the microwave for a minute or so. Served with a romaine lettuce salad, you could seriously imagine that you are dining at a particular Greek restaurant on Thayer street.

"Andreas-style" Spinach Mushroom Pita Sandwich

1 pita

plateful of spinach

1 slice of American cheese

2 slices of swiss cheese

sliced mushrooms

2-3 slices of tomato

2-3 onion rings

golden raisins (optional but very yummy)

1 large piece of wax paper

1. Microwave spinach and mushrooms on a plate for 2 minutes, or until spinach is cooked.

2. Place tomatoes and onions in a pita. Layer spinach-mushroom mixture on top and sprinkle with golden raisins, if using.

3. Place cheese on top and roll the pita up on both sides. Wrap a wax paper "diaper" on one end.

4. Nuke in the microwave for about 1 minute to melt the cheese.

5. Serve warm with a salad of lettuce, tomato, cucumbers (olives and feta too if available).

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Hi there! We are Annie and Connie, twins at Brown University who love food. We were inspired by Brown students who created mouth-watering food concoctions in the Ratty from ordinary ingredients, so we started this blog to showcase recipes using ingredients that can be found in our college cafeteria.
College cafeteria eating doesn't have to be drab; with a dash of inspiration and pinch of creativity, you can dine like an Iron Chef judge at the Ratty.

Contributing Chefs

A hearty thanks to our contributing chefs!

Vishesh Jain

Vishesh is a student at Brown University who loves cooking as an expression of creativity and a way to make people happy. Inspired by culinary competitions and fellow students, he treats the Ratty as a combined grocery, kitchen, and dining room.

Love the Ratty? Love cooking/blogging/taking pictures of food? Apply to be a contributing chef!

Dietitian's Corner

What’s great about this salad is that it combines servings of both fruits and vegetables of varying pigments, is full of fiber, and balances flavor of both salty and sweet on the palate.

A plate full of color is one that is rich in various vitamins and minerals. The different pigments naturally occurring in fruits and vegetables provide good sources of Vitamin A, C and E and minerals like magnesium, potassium and folate. The pigments of fruits and vegetables function as phytochemicals and provide protective benefits to the heart, some are anti-carcinogenic, and help to prevent against other chronic diseases. Fruits and vegetables derive color from chlorophyll (green); carotene (yellow and orange); and anthocyanin (red, blue, purple).

The salad bars at both the Sharpe Refectory and Verney-Woolley are great opportunities to boost color in your diet. Choose from varying flavors, textures, cuts, and colors to compose your creation. Choose not only from fruits and veggies, but beans, cheeses, tofu, or tuna to add protein and nutrition. If making a salad your entrée, make half your plate from veggies, one quarter from fruits, and one quarter from protein.Go light on the creamy dressings and reach for extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dress up your salad. Lastly, add crunch, texture and fiber by sprinkling on sunflower or pumpkin seeds and top off with some dried cranberries or raisins.